We asked for the impossible and we got it. In January of this year, board and staff at Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers (MPSG) locked themselves in a room at the CanadInns in Brandon with the determination to review its strategic plan. We were successful.
The idea of having a one-on-one with the Honourable Blaine Pedersen, Manitoba’s Minister of Agriculture and Resource Development, seemed like a long shot. But what if he said yes?
Dr. Robert Conner is a research scientist. He was instrumental in revolutionizing the bean industry and he will be retiring this year.
IN 2019, Manitoba growers planted approximately 13,000 acres of conventional soybeans. Here’s some of the agronomy behind growing these beans.
A survey conducted by prairie farm policy groups showed low farmer satisfaction with the two seed royalty options currently on the table. As individual farmers weigh the cost of accessing the best genetics, grower-led associations such as MPSG are prompted to consider the role check-offs will play in future plant breeding programs.
Photoperiods here in Manitoba are longer than those experienced in traditional soybean growing regions. Understanding the physiological mechanisms and genes controlling photoperiodism in soybeans has been crucial for breeders developing suitable varieties for Manitoba.
THE PORT OF Vancouver is the largest export port and the third-largest overall in North America. It is a marvel of innovation, human potential and global relationships.
IN TODAY’S ERA of high input costs, low margins and considering the ever-increasing need to improve sustainability of the farm operation, validation of agronomic management decisions made on-farm are ever-more important.
IN NATURE, PLANTS rarely grow alone. In some agricultural production, farmers have followed the lead of nature and grown two or three crops together in the same field.
New varieties must combine field performance with canning and cooking quality.
Pigweed has been an issue in Manitoba bean production (edibles and soys) in previous years with confirmation of more populations of Group 2 herbicide-resistant redroot pigweed and increasing occurrences of green pigweed/Powell amaranth. But another pigweed species caught many by surprise in 2019, even though the threat was imminent.
While doing general field scouting of pulse and soybean crops, it is not unusual to find a lot of insects in the fields.
Review of the 2019 Growing Season
“I had an objective of joining a commodity group at some point,” said Garrett. “But I wasn’t sure about the timing. When I got tapped on the shoulder last winter, I decided to give it a try. I wouldn’t say that meetings, boards and politics are at the top of my list of passions, but I’ve learned that if you care about something, getting involved is the best way you can make sure whatever it is you are passionate about can thrive.”
It’s been a year to remember — one for the books. As I am writing this, I am staring out my…
Weather, climate, markets, governments, margins and technology have all been anything but stable this year. What will next year bring us?
What a difference an election year makes.
For two successive crop years, the prospects of Canadian soybean producers have been jeopardized by the cumulative repercussions of political decisions taken by the governments of the United States, China and Canada.
